Chapter 6.3 from the English Fiction Novel: The War of Legendary Secrets!
Find all currently posted chapter exerts at the bottom of the page!

Itna, the Ancient Greek

I could hear him talking,

whispering to someone as I rolled over to glance at the clock: 3:00am. The fire was still dimly lit, and in the shadows near the window I could see Kris and Max talking quickly and quietly. I lied there, as still as if I were still sleeping, and listened, as it was obvious that whatever they were talking about they wouldn’t say in front of me.

“Kries, we have to, we don’t have choices. If we don’t… well, I’m afraid we will lose hers.”

“If we send her home now, how will we know if she is safe, if Dumitro has followed her or not? We won’t. I won’t lose her, not to him.”

“That is exactly why you must let her go. She is closer to safety the farther away she is from us. It is the only way.”

Alex patted Kries on the shoulder and sighed, “Get some rest.”

Kries nodded as Alex left the room.

They wanted me to leave. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to be left behind and forgotten about, I felt a tear fall down my cheek… After some time of Kries staring out the window in thought, he climbed back into bed. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, lightly kissing the top of my head, my shoulders, neck and back.

“I love you more than anything, please try to understand,” he whispered as he fell asleep with his face against me.

The next morning I awoke to breakfast in bed. Fried dumplings stuffed with cream cheese and hot jam, and pork sausages.

“This smells amazing. What’s the occasion?” I asked, already fully aware what it was.

Kries smiled weakly, and sat down on the bed, as I took a bite out of a dumpling.

“Look I already know, so I’m not going to make you say it,” I said as I chewed.

He looked at me sharply, not quite sure if it was a joke or not.

I swallowed, “What? I overheard you and Alex talking last night. Three o’ clock in the morning isn’t the most normal time for a conversation, so I figured I’d better pay close attention.”

I reached out for his hand.

He set his hand in mine, amazed at my ability to save him from pain.

“I don’t want you to go, but Alex is right, you have to,” he said with a slightly aggressive tone.

“I know you were expecting me to fight you, and believe me I want to, but I think that the only way you and I can ever have a normal, happy life together, is for us to prevent the scenes I have seen. It’s unfortunate that that requires me leaving, but if that’s what it takes then I will.”

He leaned over and kissed my cheesy mouth.

“Mmm, tasty,” he said while licking his lips.

“What, me or the pastry?” I laughed handing him one.

“Both,” he said while taking a bite.

Knock-knock-knock we heard on the door.

“Come in,” Kris called figuring it was Alex.

When no one came in, we began to suspect. Then I felt him.

“Kries! It’s Dumitro!”

I pulled him down closer as he went to get up.

“He knows I am leaving, he will not allow it.”

I quickly jumped up and pulled my dress on, and slipped into my boots and traveling cloak.

“Alex, old man, do you need my help with the door?” Kries said, stalling.

I kissed him quickly and he ushered

me out the window, as I continued to block Dumitro’s thoughts. He leaned out the window and handed me everything I would need to get home. Then he gave me directions to a store down the street where I was to ask for a man called Kokotni, he would take me to my destination. As he turned to go, I called for him quietly.

“Kries!” I called softly.

He reappeared at the window.

“I love you,” I said as tears fell down my face.

“I love you too,” he leaned down and kissed me, “Now go.”

With that I grabbed my bag,

and quickly made my way through the bushes to the store. I couldn’t help but be afraid, as tears poured silently down my cheeks. What if Alex wasn’t alright? What if Dumitro hurt him, or Kries, or worse? All of these thoughts raced through my head when I was grabbed, and everything went black.

Kries closed the window and turned to go to the door. Prepared, he opened it. He could see Alex was tied to a chair, and two demons’ were standing guard. Dumitro was casually leaning against the door frame.

“Beast, dear friend, where is your lovely lady friend?” he baited.

“In what world are we friends?” Kries answered, stalling just a little bit longer while he tried to think.

“Ouch. Surely not in this one. Now, where is she?” he asked slightly frustrated.

“I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Are you going to introduce us to your kin?” Kries smiled sharply.

Dumitro pondered on this for a second,

determining if there was a downfall to answering.

“How rude of me... boys!”

He snapped at them, and they stood next to him instantly.

“Beast... old man... this is Vasile and Nicholae. Not quite as old as we, but still a great contribution to the team.”

He grinned. Both of the demons had the stunning blood-red hair and the emerald-green eyes, but they were all three different. Vasile was of a stockier build, muscles and strength, even more so on his side than normal. Nicholae on the other hand was tall, and slender, swift.

“Now you have been introduced, so if you do not mind telling me where your she is, we could get on with this lovely visit,” Dumitro persuaded.

“Right, well, she is at the Ancients' gathering circle. They called her in this morning. Now could you please untie my grandfather?” Kries smoothly lied.

Dumitro passed looks among his kin,

making it all too obvious his intentions of returning to the Ancients' until she left.

“Untie him,” he commanded Vasile.

“What time shall she return?” Dumitro asked, caring not.

“I do not know that, we were told to come to the circle. We were just getting ready to head out,” Kries breezed on through.

Dumitro nodded to his kin, and together they all headed out the door.

“Oh...” Dumitro paused, “...so good of you to share with me her whereabouts.”

“Well, you would have figured it out soon enough anyways... and I have faith in the protection of my clan.”

And with that, the demons were gone,

as quickly as they had come. As soon as Dumitro was out of ear’s reach, Kries called to Alex.

“Alex?”

For some reason he had already wandered to the door.

“What are you thinking?” Kries asked.

Just then a wind picked up.

“Listen,” Alex spoke.

“I don’t hear anything…” Kries began impatiently.

“Listen,” Alex firmly enforced.

Kries stopped and listened to the world around him.

You could hear worlds speaking their support. It felt comforting and warm.

“Itna speaks within the wind. He tells us Clara is in his companion’s hands, and safely on a boat headed home.”

Kris stared at Alex openly.

“You heard all that…? I heard... whoosh.”

“When you are as old as I, your ears will hear much more than whoosh. And when you have lived as long as Itna, your ears hear much, much more.”

He smiled at his grandson.

Kries breathed in a deep sigh, glad his Clara was safe, though for how long he knew not as Dumitro would find out eventually that she was not with them.